Two more "A Lifetime of Dogs"

 Late summer and early fall of this year brought me two more commissions that involved painting the dogs from someone's lifetime. In my mind I equate this to painting a glimpse into what someone's heaven might be, because for me I would like to see the menagerie from my entire lifetime waiting at the gates for me to arrive. We would pick up just where we left off  and they would all get along beautifully. Of course my vision would include cats and a few horses, and maybe a couple guinea pigs. 

The painting I finished in August was for a gentleman on his 80th birthday. I was asked to paint it by his family and they gave it to him as a surprise.  They wanted him present in the painting, quietly sitting in his yard enjoying the company of his current dog as well as the dogs from his past. He often had two at a time of a certain type- all beautiful. The family provided me with whatever photos they could come up with as well as descriptions of a few when a photo couldn't be found.

"Dogs of a Lifetime", oil on linen, 24" x 30"

The second painting was for a friend who was the owner of an architectural salvage shop in DC. She is a collector herself and has a beautiful home filled with interesting and exquisite objects. She also has a wonderful sense of color and has had a fantastic collection of dogs over her lifetime as well. She is a delightful individual and has a special charm and glow. Even though she didn't want to be present in the painting I wanted the painting to "feel" like her in spirit and mood.  As we chatted about the painting she told me about each individual dog, how they came to be with her, and their unique personality and disposition. I got very attached to them as I painted them and wanted to do each one justice. On the day I delivered the painting, I finally got to meet the beautiful Tessa in person and I got the feeling she was quite content with her likeness...or it might have been the treats.  

"Donetta's Dogs", oil on linen, 32" x 32"

Donetta and Tessa

"Living with Goats", oil on linen, 30" x 40"

I started this painting as a tiny gouache sketch sometime last summer. It was inspired by the goats we see every morning on our early morning walks up Hayes Hill Road in Mill River, Massachusetts. At the top of the hill there is a farm. A young farmer lives there with his family and every time I pass I wish I could tell him how much I admire him. Farming is hard there is no doubt about that. I always hope that the beautiful view from his hill makes up for his early and late hours, the search for enough land, hauling food and water for all the creatures he is raising... and never mind the weather being temperamental and uncertain. And then there are the goats. I really hope that their crazy antics and funny voices bring the young farmer some joy and that he is not too overwhelmed by the weight of his responsibilities to enjoy them. I started thinking that maybe I should add some goats to our menagerie of cats and dogs, but then I thought again about the reality of that... and did this painting instead. 

Living with Goats 

A Lifetime of Animals, oil on linen, 42" x 42"

oil on linen, 42" x 42"

The inspiration for “A Life with Animals” came last October from conversations with the individual who asked me to paint it.  The concept for a painting like this is very organic. I listen to the individual tell me stories about their life, their passions and the animals they have loved, and slowly the idea emerges, followed by the seed of a visual portrayal of the idea.  In this project there were so many inspiring stories, so many wonderful creatures, that the initial concept kept growing and expanding over time.

My first challenge was how to place all these creatures into the same space yet have it feel cohesive and somewhat natural – a very happy peaceable kingdom. I liked the idea of making the setting the large room of an English-style country house with various areas for seating, and opening to a landscape. Since many of the animals were rescued from dire situations and given a second chance for comfort and love, I thought that should be reflected in the painting – all the creatures living harmoniously together in a beautiful and cozy home. 

I started by drawing a floor plan on grid paper as if I was figuring out where to put furniture in an empty room, then I slowly added the animals and moved them around until they each had their own spot. Then I did a perspective drawing on paper to create a deep space within which I could arrange the composition. Using photographs and descriptions of all the animals, I did a number of preliminary drawings so I felt like I knew them before starting on the canvas.

On the linen canvas, I always begin with a reddish orange imprimatura, then grid it so I can scale up from the perspective drawing. First I draw the space in charcoal, then add the figures. 

Once the drawing is complete, I do a grisaille (gray tones) underpainting. When that is dry, I start working over that in transparent color glazes.

Along with the animals there are some objects depicted that are unique and personal to the owners of the painting, such as the scale of justice, the hats, the bluebird and robin, certain attributes of the interior and the landscape. 

There have been times in my career when a painting sort of takes over and paints itself. This was definitely one of those. I think perhaps the spirits of all the lovely creatures had something to do with it. I am just grateful to be the person who got to hold the brush.  

See a video of the painting here: https://youtu.be/gGSfxtcfzE0

Images of the painting in progress: